“Feeling better?” I asked.
“You always make me feel better,” she said.
“Well, soon we’ll have a
small little baby to make us both feel better,” I said.
“You’re getting excited, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Are you not?”
“Of course, I am. But, I’m also pregnant. I’m sort of ready for all of this to be over.”
“I can only imagine. Is there anything I can do to help you out?”
“Not really. This feels wonderful,” she said.
She hummed into my chest as my fingers continued to dance along the soft tresses of her hair.
“Do you ever think about John?” Hailey asked.
“You’ll have to be more specific as to why you’re asking that question,” I said.
“I mean, now that we’re pregnant. Do you ever wonder what he might have thought?”
I felt tears prickle the backs of my eyes as I drew in a deep breath.
“All the time,” I said.
“Do you think he would’ve been happy for us?” Hailey asked.
“Where’s all this coming from?”
“Just answer the question. Do you think he would’ve been happy?”
“I think he would’ve been ecstatic to have been an uncle. I’d like to think it would’ve prompted him to do even better with his life, so he could set an example for our little girl.”
“Little boy,” she said.
“Someone really asked some questions about John’s paintings today, didn’t they?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “It was the first person I’ve ever talked with who pointed out the pain in his dual paintings.”
“Which I assume he asked questions about.”
“Yep.”
“Hailey, I’m so sorry,” I said.
“It was bound to happen.”
My hand began massaging the back of Hailey’s neck, pulling a moan from between her lips.
“I know there’s a question you want to ask,” I said. “Why aren’t you asking it?”
“Because I’m not ready for the dialogue it’s going to prompt.”
“What if I promise you I won’t prompt it?” I asked.